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The increase of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration in the ambient air has become the key factor in the pace of temperature rise, and accordingly, is a primary contributor towards global warming scenario. In view of this, the quick mitigation efforts associated with capturing CO 2 from fossil fuel combustion source must be implemented to alleviate environmental catastrophic events in future. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to review the role and performances of activated carbon in capturing anthropogenic CO 2 flue gas prior to emission to air. Throughout this paper, the activated carbons which were proposed to be a separation medium for CO 2 capture are evaluated in terms of equilibrium adsorption capacity as well as the surface modification. The utilization of the activated carbons instead of current state-of-art technology, which is the chemical absorption is promising as it avoids higher energy penalty encountered in regeneration process and the consumption of corrosive chemical such as aqueous amine-based solvent. In addition, the investigation on the potential of activated carbons for post-combustion CO 2 capture is expected to confer scientists with critical information related to the future direction of the activated carbons in an industrial application, and as an alternative to conventional amine scrubbing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the continued failure to mitigate greenhouse gases, researchers have explored the possibility of injecting aerosols into the stratosphere in order to cool global temperatures. This paper discusses whether Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) should be researched, on the controversial ethical assumption that reducing existential risk is overwhelmingly morally important. On the one hand, SAI could eliminate the environmental existential risks of climate change (arguably around a 1% chance of catastrophe), and reduce the risks of interstate conflict associated with extreme warming. Moreover, the risks of termination shock and unilateral deployment are overstated. On the other hand, SAI introduces risks of interstate conflict which are very difficult to quantify. Research into these security risks would be valuable, but also risks reducing willingness to mitigate. I conclude that the decision about whether to research SAI is one of ‘deep uncertainty’ or ‘complex cluelessness’, but that there is a tentative case for research initially primarily focused on the governance and security aspects of SAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges confronting us today is the issue of global climate change and the level of knowledge about its effects in developing nations. This paper examines the problem of global climate change and the prospect of mitigating its negative effects through informal and non-formal learning in a typical developing nation like Nigeria drawing from a huge city like Port Harcourt. It adopts a case study approach in arriving at useful data in the analysis of the linkage between education and climate change management in the country. The kernel of the paper is the emphasis on incorporating informal and non-formal education in the management of climate change in Nigeria. Hence it argues for the introduction of climate change education in informal and non-formal education programmes rather than leave it at the formal educational level alone. It is recommended that climate change management should be included as a compulsory course in all informal and non-formal educational curricular at all levels. With this, it can be sure that more persons will have the intellectual know-how to manage climate change. The paper concludes that curriculum review, sensitization, advocacy and mobilization of support for climate change and education are the necessary ingredients to instill the drive for climate change management in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author discusses the errors in the paper by Robert M. Carter which focuses on human-caused global warming. He believes that the paper contains flaws since it failed to deliver accurate data on the works of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He contends that Carter committed unsubstantiated allegations because of his assertions on the termination of rising temperature in 1998, the urban heat island effect and the effects of human activities on temperature.

Abstract: Mass media in the U.S. continue to suggest that scientific consensus estimates of global climate disruption, such as those from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), are “exaggerated” and overly pessimistic. By contrast, work on the Asymmetry of Scientific Challenge (ASC) suggests that such consensus assessments are likely to understate climate disruptions. This paper offers an initial test of the competing expectations, making use of the tendency for science to be self-correcting, over time. Rather than relying in any way on the IPCC process, the paper draws evidence about emerging science from four newspapers that have been found in past work to be biased against reporting IPCC findings, consistently reporting instead that scientific findings are “in dispute.” The analysis considers two time periods — one during the time when the papers were found to be overstating challenges to then-prevailing scientific consensus, and the other focusing on 2008, after the IPCC and former Vice-President Gore shared the Nobel Prize for their work on climate disruption, and before opinion polls showed the U.S. public to be growing more skeptical toward climate science once again. During both periods, new scientific findings were more than twenty times as likely to support the ASC perspective than the usual framing of the issue in the U.S. mass media. The findings indicate that supposed challenges to the scientific consensus on global warming need to be subjected to greater scrutiny, as well as showing that, if reporters wish to discuss “both sides” of the climate issue, the scientifically legitimate “other side” is that, if anything, global climate disruption may prove to be significantly worse than has been suggested in scientific consensus estimates to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate change exerts influence on the globe over relatively long temporal and at broad spatial scales. However, at the local scale in which communities undertake their daily activities, changes in land-use may result in changes that accumulate and manifest more quickly in the landscape. In this paper we set out a methodology for identifying social–ecological system (SES) vulnerabilities in the landscape with respect to freshwater resources for Arctic communities. A multiple-scale approach is used at regional and watershed scales and is demonstrated for the Seward Peninsula region, Alaska and the Fish River watershed on Seward Peninsula but may be applied elsewhere. The approach includes change in permafrost distribution as an important effect of climate change, and change in mining activity as an important land-use effect. Vulnerability in the SES is identified as a consequence of spatially coinciding values. The resulting patterns of vulnerability highlight the interaction between changes, which act on slower temporal scales (e.g., permafrost distribution) and changes which act more quickly (e.g., downstream aggregation of mining activity). These results are discussed in the context of using the integration approach outlined in this paper to better enable communities’ responses to change at local scales in such a way that they are both adaptive and resilient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – comprised of top climate scientists from around the globe – has reached consensus that human activities have contributed significantly to global climate change. However, over time, the United States has refused to join concerted international efforts – such as the Kyoto Protocol – to curb human activities contributing to climate change. US newspaper and television media constitute key influences among a set of complex dynamics shaping information dissemination in this politicized environment. Mass-media coverage of climate change is not simply a random amalgam of newspaper articles and television segments; rather, it is a social relationship between scientists, policy actors and the public that is mediated by such news packages. This paper demonstrates that consistent adherence to interacting journalistic norms has contributed to impediments in the coverage of anthropogenic climate change science. Through analysis of US newspaper and television coverage of human contributions to climate change from 1988 through 2004, this paper finds that adherence to first-order journalistic norms – personalization, dramatization, and novelty – significantly influence the employment of second-order norms – authority-order and balance – and that this has led to informationally deficient mass-media coverage of this crucial issue. By critically scrutinizing US print and television media as a ‘public arena,’ we improve understanding of how journalistic activities have shaped interactions at the interface with climate science, policy and the public. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recycling of waste materials has been analysed from a life cycle perspective in a number of studies over the past 10–15 years. Publications comparing the global warming impact and total energy use of recycling versus incineration and landfilling were reviewed in order to find out to what extent they agree or contradict each other, and whether there are generally applicable conclusions to be drawn when certain key factors are considered. Four key factors with a significant influence on the ranking between recycling, incineration, and landfilling were identified. Producing materials from recycled resources is often, but not always, less energy intensive and causes less global warming impact than from virgin resources. For non-renewable materials the savings are of such a magnitude, that apparently the only really crucial factor is what material is replaced. For paper products, however, the savings of recycling are much smaller. The ranking between recycling and incineration of paper is sensitive to for instance paper quality, energy source avoided by incineration, and energy source at the mill. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Any discussion of the benefits of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measures should take into consideration the full range of possible climate change outcomes, including impacts that remain highly uncertain, like surprises and other climate irreversibilities. Real-world coupling between complex systems can cause them to exhibit new collective behaviours that are not clearly demonstrable by models that do not include such coupling. Through examples from ocean circulation and atmosphere–biosphere interactions, this paper demonstrates that external forcings such as increases in GHG concentrations can push complex systems from one equilibrium state to another, with non-linear abrupt change as a possible consequence. Furthermore, the harder and faster a system is perturbed, the higher the likelihood of such surprises—a conclusion that has significant bearing on the assessment of the potential benefits of the timing and stringency of GHG abatement measures. The paper concludes with a perspective on how to better incorporate uncertainty and surprise into integrated assessment models of climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Internal heat sources may not only consume energy directly through their operation (e.g. lighting), but also contribute to building cooling or heating loads, which indirectly change building cooling and heating energy. Through the use of a building simulation technique, this paper investigates the influence of building internal load densities on the energy and thermal performance of air-conditioned office buildings in Australia. Case studies for air-conditioned office buildings in major Australian capital cities are presented. It is found that with a decrease of internal load density in lighting and/or plug load, both the building cooling load and total energy use can be significantly reduced. Their effect on overheating hour reduction would be dependent on the local climate. In particular, it is found that if the building total internal load density is reduced from the base case of “medium” to “extra low”, the building total energy use under the future 2070 high scenario can be reduced by up to 89–120 kWh/m² per annum, and the overheating problem could be completely avoided. It is suggested that the reduction in building internal load densities could be adopted as one of the adaptation strategies for buildings in the face of the future global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper is an analysis of how the energy system in Romania influence sustainable development. It is known that the energy sector is one of the basic pillars of our economy . Permanent development of this sector leads to economic development ,Romania still having many energy resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid ΔΣ modulator for audio applications is presented in this paper. The pulse generator for digital-to-analog converter alleviates the requirement of the external clock jitter and calibrates the coefficient variation due to a process shift and temperature changes. The input resistor network in the first integrator offers a gain control function in a dB-linear fashion. Also, careful chopper stabilization implementation using return-to-zero scheme in the first continuous-time integrator minimizes both the influence of flicker noise and inflow noise due to chopping. The chip is implemented in a 0.13 µm CMOS technology (I/O devices) and occupies an active area of 0.37 mm². The ΔΣ modulator achieves a dynamic range (A-weighted) of 97.8 dB and a peak signal-to-noise-plus-distortion ratio of 90.0 dB over an audio bandwidth of 20 kHz with a 4.4 mW power consumption from 3.3 V. Also, the gain of the modulator is controlled from -9.5 dB to 8.5 dB, and the performance of the modulator is maintained up to 5 nsRMS external clock jitter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of climate change and its main effect, the global warming, is more and more present at the planetary level. The reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions represents a way to avoid significant environmental degradation by climate change. The use of renewable energy offers a "clean" alternative for energy production, which allows considerable reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. As part of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), of the Kyoto Protocol, and also as a EU member, Romania committed to contribute to the global effort for GHG emissions mitigation. Starting from the biomass potential of Romania, the following paper presents an evaluation of GHG emissions reduction by using biomass energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is now an indisputable challenge to the sustainability of human development. The effects of global warming, especially anthropogenic, affect all economic and productive sectors, stimulating a broad debate about the best and more suited tools and strategies to put in place to resist but also to overcome this challenge. European agriculture that is currently discussing on the trajectories post-2013, has a strong interest in the issue of climate change, not only because agricultural activities are directly dependent on climatic conditions, but because also agriculture contributes to the release of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere. Based on these considerations, the aim of this paper is to analyze the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the light of a new interpretive scheme of its future directions, in order to verify the actual effectiveness in the implementation of development strategies of the sector, able to ensure sustainability in its various dimensions: economic, social, environmental, territorial and generational. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent work examining likely changes in global temperatures as a result of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has suggested that cumulative CO2 emissions (i.e. total emissions over an extended period of time) could be more significant than the differences between particular emissions pathway (e.g. with different timing of emissions or peak emissions rate) in determining how the global climate might change in response to CO2 emissions. This suggests that effective measures to mitigate the risk of dangerous climate change will need to limit cumulative emissions of CO2. Further, if cumulative CO2 emissions overshoot acceptable limits, it will become necessary to remove CO2 from the air–so-called ‘negative emissions’. Technologies that effect ‘negative emissions’ could also be used to offset additional anthropogenic emissions from sectors where greenhouse gas emissions are difficult or impossible to reduce beyond certain, still relatively high, limits. If the prevailing carbon price for marginal abatement options rises significantly from current levels (e.g. of order up to $200/t CO2 has been suggested by some) then a relatively wide range of options for removing CO2 from the air may become cost-effective. Additionally, some options for removing CO2 from the air are likely to have much lower abatement costs. This paper summarises results from research conducted to compare and contrast various options for capturing CO2 from the air, with a particular focus on establishing the potential of these options to have a significant impact in reducing CO2 emissions and, if so, over what timescales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Copenhagen Accord recognizes the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius, and deep cuts in global emissions are required. According to the Fourth Assessment Report of IPCC, the global emissions in 2050 should be reduced by 50% at least compared to the 2000 level in order to achieve below around 2 degrees Celsius and 450 ppmv- CO2eq.. However, the future improvement over 4% p.a. will be needed to achieve halving global emissions within a few percent of GDP losses, while the historical carbon intensity was improved by 1.2% p.a, There are large gaps between historical trends and the required efforts for such a challenging target. In addition, historical trends indicate that it is very difficult to achieve reductions in primary energy consumptions. Therefore, decarbonization of the energy, i.e., carbon intensity improvement, is indispensable for deep emission cuts. Although the developed countries had some trends of the decarbonization, it is also far from such targets of large emission reductions. De-carbonization technologies of nuclear power, renewable energies and Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) are significant. Most emission reduction scenarios including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and the International Energy Agency (IEA) show increase in carbon price to advance carbon emissions for the future under the assumptions on sustainable global cooperation for emission reductions. However, It is difficult to sustain global cooperative intention to tackle global warming over 100 years in a real world. The carbon price rather should be decreased in the long-run for sustainable development and sustainable global actions for emission reductions. In addition, historical and currently planed carbon prices of emission trading schemes in many countries are low in the real world, and high carbon prices, particularly explicit prices, are unacceptable politically. CCS development and deployment has risks of intermittent carbon price in near- and mid-term and of carbon price converging zero in long-term. This paper discusses this gap between proposed scenarios assuming ideal world including continuous increase in carbon price and politically acceptable carbon prices in the real world, and outlook of plausible CCS deployment considering the gap. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The decade of 2000-2010 was the warmest decade in recent history. It was also a decade of climate extremes such as the 2003 heat wave in western Europe and 2010 heat wave in Russia, frequent major floods in Europe, Pakistan in 2010 or Australia in early 2011, devastating cyclones, or major cold snaps and snow blizzards as in the US, UK and China. Despite this reality, there persists a deep gap between the scientific evidence about the changing climate of the Earth, and political awareness about the reasons and consequences of global warming. Such a gap between physical reality and political thinking will be extremely costly. Recent scientific evidence suggests that measures considered to tackle global warming are gravely inadequate. It appears that the average global temperature by 2100 will increase by at least 3°C to 4°C. Such increase will have devastating effects on agricultural production and survival of hundreds of millions people. The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of climate change science among policy makers and diplomats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the magnitude and urgency concerning climate change, and the important role of technology therein, it is imperative that transition towards a global green techno- economic paradigm is proactively promoted. Such a transition is not possible unless there is a strong bias in favour of environment in policy making as well as at the level of technological choices made by firms. This paper attempts to touch upon some of the crucial issues that must be addressed in order to bring about a strong 'environmental bias' in making technological as well as policy choices necessary for establishing a green techno-economic paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Investigaciones Políticas y Sociológicas (RIPS) is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Uncertainties in biomass estimates in Amazonian forests result in a broad range of possible magnitude for the emissions of carbon from deforestation and other land-use changes. This paper presents biomass equations developed from trees directly weighed in open forest on fertile soils in the southern Amazon (SA) and allometric equations for bole-volume estimates of trees in both dense and open forests. The equations were used to improve the commonly used biomass models based on large-scale wood-volume inventories carried out in Amazonian forest. The biomass estimates from the SA allometric equation indicate that equations developed in forests on infertile soils in central Amazonia (CA) result in overestimates if applied to trees in the open forests of SA. All aboveground components of 267 trees in open forests of SA were cut and weighed, and the proportion of the biomass stored in the crowns of trees in open forest was found to be higher than in dense forest. In the case of inventoried wood volume, corrections were applied for indentations and hollow trunks and it was determined that no adjustment is needed for the form factor used in the RadamBrasil volume formula. New values are suggested for use in models to convert wood volume to biomass estimates. A biomass map for Brazilian Amazonia was produced from 2702 plots inventoried by the RadamBrasil Project incorporating all corrections for wood density and wood volume and in factors used to add the bole volume of small trees and the crown biomass. Considering all adjustments, the biomass map indicates total biomass of 123.1Gt (1Gt=1 billion tons) dry weight (aboveground+belowground) for originally forested areas in 1976 in the Brazilian Legal Amazon as a whole (102.3Gt for aboveground only) at the time of the RadamBrasil inventories, which were carried out before intensive deforestation had occurred in the region. Excluded from this estimate are 529,000km2 of forest lacking sufficient RadamBrasil inventory data. After forest losses of 676,000km2 by 2006 – not counting 175,000km2 of this deforested area lacking RadamBrasil data – the estimated dry biomass stock was reduced to 105.4 and 87.6Gt (aboveground+belowground and only above-ground). Thus, in 2006 the carbon storage in forested areas in Brazilian Amazonia as a whole will be around 51.1Gt (assuming 1Mg dry biomass=0.485MgC). Biomass estimates by forest type (aggregated into 12 vegetation classes) are provided for each state in the Brazilian Legal Amazon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The questions of how land use change affects climate, and how climate change affects land use, require examination of societal and environmental systems across space at multiple scales, from the global climate to regional vegetative dynamics to local decision making by farmers and herders. It also requires an analysis of causal linkages and feedback loops between systems. These questions and the conceptual approach of the research design of the Climate–Land Interaction Project (CLIP) are rooted in the classical human–environment research tradition in Geography. This paper discusses a methodological framework to quantify the two-way interactions between land use and regional climate systems, using ongoing work by a team of multi-disciplinary scientists examining climate–land dynamics at multiple scales in East Africa. East Africa is a region that is undergoing rapid land use change, where changes in climate would have serious consequences for people’s livelihoods, and requiring new coping and land use strategies. The research involves exploration of linkages between two important foci of global change research, namely, land use/land cover (LULC) and climate change. These linkages are examined through modeling agricultural systems, land use driving forces and patterns, the physical properties of land cover, and the regional climate. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are being used to illustrate a diverse pluralism in scientific discovery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper explores the implications for global average temperature change of a set of reference and mitigation scenarios in a probabilistic framework. First, we use published probability density functions for climate sensitivity to investigate the likelihood of achieving targets expressed as levels or rates of global average temperature change. We find, for example, that limiting warming to 3 C above pre-industrial levels with at least a medium likelihood requires cumulative emissions reductions on the order of 30-60% below one unmitigated reference scenario by 2100, while a more favorable baseline scenario requires no reductions at all to achieve this outcome with the same likelihood. We further conclude that the rate of temperature change may prove to be more difficult to control, especially if most of the mitigation effort is postponed until later in the century. Rate of change targets of 0.1–0.2 °C/decade are unlikely to be achieved by a target for the long-term level of climate change alone. Second, we quantify relationships between mitigation costs and the likelihood of achieving various targets and show how this depends strongly on the reference scenario. Third, we explore relationships between medium-term achievements and long-term climate change outcomes. Our results suggest that atmospheric concentrations and the share of zero-carbon energy in the middle of the 21st century are key indicators of the likelihood of meeting long-term climate change goals cost-effectively. They also suggest that interim targets could be an effective means of keeping long-term target options open. Our analysis shows that least-cost mitigation strategies for reaching low climate change targets include a wide portfolio of reduction measures. In particular, fundamental long-term structural changes in the energy system in these scenarios are a necessary but not sufficient condition to achieve high likelihoods for low temperature targets. The cost-effective portfolio of emissions reductions must also address demand-side measures and include mitigation options in the industry, agriculture, and the forest sector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Floods, windstorms, drought and wildfires have major implications for human health. To date, conceptual advances in analysis of vulnerability and adaptation to climatic hazards from the environmental and social sciences have not been widely applied in terms of health, though key progress is being made particularly in relation to climate change. This paper seeks to take this conceptual grounding further, examining how key themes relate to health concerns, exploring connections with existing health literatures, and developing an organising framework to aid analysis of how vulnerability to health impacts varies within society and how actors make decisions and take action in relation to climatic hazards and health. Social science research on this theme is challenging in part because of the complex mechanisms that link hazard events to health outcomes, and the many-layered factors that shape differential vulnerability and response within changing societal and environmental contexts (including the dual effect of hazards on human health and health systems, and the combination of ‘external’, ‘personal’ and ‘internal’ elements of vulnerability). Tracing a ‘health impact pathway’ from hazard event through health risk effects to health outcomes can provide a research tool with which to map out where the different factors that contribute to vulnerability/coping capacity come into effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a set of technically feasible multi-gas emission pathways (envelopes) for stabilising greenhouse gas concentration at 450, 550 and 650ppm CO2-equivalent and their trade-offs between direct abatement costs and probabilities to meet temperature targets. There are different pathways within the envelope. Delayed response pathways initially follow the upper boundary of the emission envelope and reduce more by the end of the century. In contrast, early action pathways first follow the lower boundary and then the upper boundary. The latter require an early peak in the global emissions but keeps the option open for shifting to lower concentration targets in the future. Costs evaluations depend on the discount rate. Early action profiles have high costs early on, but learning-by-doing and smoother reduction rates over time lead to in most cases to lower costs across the century (net present value (NPV)). To achieve the 450ppm CO2-equivalent, the global emissions need to peak before 2020. The NPV of costs increase from 0.2% of cumulative gross domestic product to 1.0% as the shift is made from 650 to 450ppm (discount rate 5%). However, the chances of limiting global mean warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels are very small for peaking and stabilisation at 650ppm (1–23%) and 550ppm (1–48%), but increase for a peaking at 510ppm with subsequent stabilisation 450ppm to 14–67%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study presents the results of a second-generation climate change assessment for three key ski regions of Quebéc incorporating snowmaking as a climate adaptation strategy. Potential economic ramifications for ski operators are assessed separately for the main revenue-generating period and shoulder seasons. The paper concludes that climate change does not pose a threat to the Quebéc ski industry under 2020s scenarios and that, while adequate snow base can be maintained with additional snowmaking under even the warmest scenario for the 2050s, the combined economic impact of lost revenue opportunities from a shortened ski season and increased snowmaking costs will likely prove prohibitive for some ski operators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The term ‘vulnerability’ is used in many different ways by various scholarly communities. The resulting disagreement about the appropriate definition of vulnerability is a frequent cause for misunderstanding in interdisciplinary research on climate change and a challenge for attempts to develop formal models of vulnerability. Earlier attempts at reconciling the various conceptualizations of vulnerability were, at best, partly successful. This paper presents a generally applicable conceptual framework of vulnerability that combines a nomenclature of vulnerable situations and a terminology of vulnerability concepts based on the distinction of four fundamental groups of vulnerability factors. This conceptual framework is applied to characterize the vulnerability concepts employed by the main schools of vulnerability research and to review earlier attempts at classifying vulnerability concepts. None of these one-dimensional classification schemes reflects the diversity of vulnerability concepts identified in this review. The wide range of policy responses available to address the risks from global climate change suggests that climate impact, vulnerability, and adaptation assessments will continue to apply a variety of vulnerability concepts. The framework presented here provides the much-needed conceptual clarity and facilitates bridging the various approaches to researching vulnerability to climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Urbanization can cause changes in carbon fluxes, which, in turn, impacts atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and possibly global surface temperatures. Using the Atlanta, Georgia, region as a case study, this paper explores the impact of urban expansion from 1973 to 2002 on land-atmosphere carbon exchange. The major objectives were to estimate net ecosystem production (NEP) values for multiple land-cover classes and to link urbanization-induced changes in land-cover to changes in NEP and overall carbon fluxes. The principal data were daily climatic data, year-specific land-cover data, annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE) values, and annual anthropogenic carbon emissions estimates. The principal methods were testing for climatic trends, determining the composition of the land-cover classes, estimating annual NEP values for the land-cover classes, and estimating the overall carbon exchange. The major findings: (1) there were no significant trends for any of the climatic variables; (2) the region was only ∼16% urbanized in 1973; however, by 2002, the region was ∼38% urbanized; (3) the NEP in 1978–1980 of 443 g C m-2 yr-1 may have continued until 1996–1998, despite the substantial loss of forest land; and (4) net carbon emissions increased from ∼150 g in 1978–1980 to ∼940g C m-2 yr-1 in 1996–1998. Therefore, urban expansion greatly increased the carbon emissions of the Atlanta region; however, it is possible that, through increasing the growing-season length as well as increasing nitrogen and CO2 fertilization, urban expansion may not decrease the region-wide NEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Increased atmospheric temperatures during the high-pressure which characterise the Mediterranean climate in the dry summer time, coupled with an increase in the intensity of storms in the following wet season over recent years, increase the risk of summer fires as well as debris flows and floods in the autumn and/or in the following years. In addition, the diffuse urbanization of Italy requires a rapid and reliable tool be available in order to obtain preliminary information, at the end of the summer season, that identifies newly fired areas that present a significant hazard to human populations. In such burned zones, soil instability may be more severe favouring debris flows which may impact on populated zones. Thus, in this paper we discuss a rapid methodology to: (i) identify burned areas using band ratio''s using multitemporal LANDSAT ETM images; (ii) evaluate the potential of the burned areas as the source of debris flows based on morphometric parameters (slope and hill slope curvature); (iii) evaluate the structures, such as houses and roads, exposed to potential damage by debris flows. Hazardous areas were evaluated using a stochastical model coupled with an empirical relationship which accounts for the mobility of the debris flows. The methodology provides a classification of the most “dangerous” burned areas and the potentially maximum inundated downslope areas. This has been applied to Sicily for the period autumn 2001–autumn 2002. The total burned area was 76.37km2. According to the classification proposed 6.4% of the burned areas were consider of very high to high hazard potential, 54.4% of medium hazard and 43.2% of low hazard potential. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In contrast to the Northern Hemisphere, relatively little is known about the influence of climate, in particular climate change, on the timing of bird migration in Australia. This paper examines a new dataset, comprising daily abundance records for 8 landbird species at Lyre Bird Observatory (EBO), Western Australia, for the period 1984 to 2003. Five of the 8 species were present at Lyre for only part of the year, while the 3 species present all year round exhibited seasonal changes in abundance. For most species, changes in migration dates were related to observed changes in the regional climate; 3 species showed no trend in migration timing, and these had no regular period of absence from EBO. Of the remaining species, the Purple-crowned Lorikeet Glossopsitta porphyrocephala and Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa showed strong trends in arrival dates: both winter visitors arrived suddenly at EBO and earlier over time, with lorikeets arriving earlier in years of warmer night-time temperatures. Two species, Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus and Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus, had strong trends in departure dates and were summer visitors, These species responded differently to warming night-time temperatures, perhaps reflecting their breeding characteristics. The Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus arrived and departed suddenly and showed no trend in migration timing, though wetter years corresponded to earlier arrivals. Consistent with global trends, this region warmed, particularly in minimum temperatures (0.05°C yr-1). There was no trend in rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Atmosphere - Ocean (Canadian Meteorological & Oceanographic Society) is the property of Canadian Meteorological & Oceanographic Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper reviews our current understanding of the effect of climate change on tropical cyclones. While there are presently no discernible changes in tropical cyclone characteristics that could reasonably be ascribed to global warming, predictions suggest some increases in tropical cyclone maximum intensity in a warmer world. Formation regions are unlikely to change, while little consensus has emerged regarding changes in cyclone numbers or tracks. Some uncertainty in these predictions is created by clear deficiencies in current climate models. If predictions of intensities are correct, however, changes should be detectable in the Atlantic some time after 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Temperature changes & extreme events intensity impacts energy generation & demand. • Energy supply & demand are interconnected to growth via the use of goods & services. • Investments of e.g. 2 MW is more efficient compared to larger projects of 18 MW. Global changes in temperature will likely change energy use and electricity production capacity. Considering the relationship between climate change and energy resource use, changes in temperature and the frequency and intensity of extreme events will affect how much energy is produced and consumed. The green economy and green growth are located at the heart of the fight against climate change in creating sustainable development. This paper considers the multidirectional relations between climate change, energy resources, and sustainable development including the perspective of a green economy via a technoeconomic analysis. A link among energy resources, climate changes and sustainable development has been displayed via a technoeconomic analysis in the case study, which was focused on taking into consideration the needs of the hydroponic units, the product selling price, the electricity price of the wind farm (WF), and at the same time the energy demand, under a nexus approach. Via the technoeconomic analysis, it was proven that moving on to smaller investments of 2 MWs is more efficient compared to larger projects e.g. 18 MWs, however, this cannot be considered immediately as the preferred solution since it is always a matter of impact on the local society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the comments made by Professor Robert Ward on the author's paper on human-caused global warming. The author explains that Ward was able to provide an extended critique of the paper, however, he failed to resolve the ambiguity of the anthropogenic effects of greenhouse emissions due to the lack of knowledge about planetary carbon dioxide. It also notes that Ward's comments could be best treated as his own assessment of the possible dangers of human-caused global warming.

The urban climate affects the health and quality of life of the urban population. In cities, built structures and impermeable surfaces elevate the temperature relative to the surrounding countryside. Concerns over urban heat have intensified with the threats of climate change and rising global temperatures. In countries like Iran, which has been affected by these changes, water resources have declined and air temperatures have increased. Therefore, we need to redesign urban forms and re-plan urban landscapes to achieve an optimal form for facing future climate hazards. The Urban form also influences other factors like residence correlation and a neighborhood's sense of community. Both concerns are more significant in high-density urban sites, where there are fewer open spaces for residents and people live in a more crowded environment. The urban form of Iran-Tehran, influenced by developmental policies and the division of land into small plots, has resulted in a dense, heterogeneous, and irregular urban fabric with few open spaces, which are divided into very small parts. These small, fragmented open spaces are mostly used for parking lots. In recent years, rapid urban growth has intensified these problems, and the city has tried to find a better form for residential block development with more favorable and multifunctional open spaces. To this end, the paper examined impacts of one of the most probable options for development on temperature and urban heat. First, based on the proposed layout with a defined density, various possible climate-optimal forms were defined as scenarios of development. Then, their impact on urban heat was assessed by using the microclimate assessment software, ENVI-met. Outputs demonstrate the climatic influence of such changes in urban configurations and greening while highlighting the best development solution for multifunctional open spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]